The Later Times
by Unfortunate October
Summary: A series of one-shots following the characters of Naruto after Shippuden. Shikamaru decides to answer his young daughter's question: why do the adults play with knives?
1. I, Why Adults Play with Knives

_**T**__he__** L**__ater__** T**__imes_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Any OCs belong to me.

- **I** -

"Father?"

He hadn't been asleep, so he was able to sit up at the soft voice, yawning tiredly as he loosened his hair and motioned for the young girl to come forward. She hurried to his side, grunting as she clutched the sheets, attempting pathetically to climb onto the bed. Her father helped her up, smiling as he stroked her dark hair. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No." She settled in the crook of his arm, between him and her sleeping mother.

"So what brings you to my room?"

"It's Mommy's room."

"Of course it is," he sighed, settling back against the pillows. "Why are you in mommy's room?"

"I have a question."

"Ask me, Shikari," Shikamaru smiled down at the little girl, amused by her formal tone and serious scowl. Barely existent for four years and she had already managed to retain some of the most burdensome yet attractive traits from her mother. Shikamaru's eyes wandered to Temari's sleeping frame, brought back to his daughter by her sharp pinch. "Hey!"

"Touza told me his father died."

"He did." Shikamaru was cautious, inspecting his daughter's face for any trace of confusion or fear. She showed none, nothing but simple curiosity was evident on her face, so he continued. "Saving me. Chouni's dad and Inome's mom were there, too."

"He told me that already."

"I'm sorry," Shikamaru grumbled, shifting away from her perfected scowl.

"My question: why does everyone's fathers play with knives if they die?" Her eyes widened now, in a crafty manner that allowed her more desserts and a later bedtime. Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose, glancing away before gaining the courage to meet her large, blue-green eyes. "You know you will die." The tone of certainty in her voice was disturbing.

"You shouldn't want that to happen to your daddy," Shikamaru tried tickling her, pulling his fingers away at her scowl. He hadn't tried playing with her much in her life, there was always a serious air whenever he was with her, and the few times he attempted to treat her her age, she never disappointed him with taking the bait. He knew, since having children, it was a matter of time before he had to explain his dangerous work, but he never expected to have the conversation with a four-year-old. "It's not playing, Shikari. We fight. We fight to protect you and everyone in the village."

"You can't protect me if you're dead."

"I have no intention of dying any time soon."

"I'd cry if you died," Shikari continued, hugging his arm. Shikamaru paused, wrapping his arms around her, smiling to himself. She'd cried when she was a baby - she cried now, yet she often attempted to deny it, pouting and becoming mad at anyone who pointed out her shortcomings. The fact that she told him that she would cry if anything happened to him was touching. The fact that she, Shikari, the daughter who would rather hide beneath her bed than seek the comfort of her father's arms had gone to seek him out during a time of confusion and vulnerability said multitudes.

"I'll never make you cry, Shikari," Shikamaru promised solemnly, bending to kiss the top of her head. She buried her face against his side, trembling.

"Mommy fights, too."

"Yeah - but I take care of her."

"Secret promise?" She raised her face from his chest, holding up a tiny finger. Shikamaru smiled, reaching to wrap his own pinky around hers. "Promise." He'd never tell Temari that their daughter worried for them, despite her independent nature and routine denial of their importance. He'd never tell anyone that his baby girl was afraid of thunder and skipped closer to his side when strangers were near. That, he promised to keep to himself, to go untold when he smiled at her in her sleep. But his desire to protect her and his family was obvious, it went unsaid that Shikamaru would do anything to take care of them. The need to be protected wasn't a weakness - it was necessary for him in order to immobilize the enemy. One day Shikari would understand, and one day she would realize there was no shame in needing aid.

"Thank you, Daddy." She pat his cheek, her palm sharp against his face, the gesture more of a slap than any affectionate gesture. She rolled off the bed and left the room to return to her own. Shikamaru looked after her, too stunned to help her descent from the bed, instead shoving his wife awake.

"It better be light outside-"

"Shikari called me daddy!" His excitement didn't transfer to his wife, obvious by her slit eyes. Shikamaru cleared his throat, removing his hands from her shoulders.

"You realize Shikari has been speaking for years now."

"Yeah, but-"

"Don't wake me up again."

He nodded, glancing away from her scowl, mumbling to himself before sitting up, sighing lightly at the bellowing crack of thunder against the roof. He stood and left his bedroom, peeking into the nursery, glancing at the cot where his son slept before searching for his daughter on the bed. The sheets were undisturbed, as if she hadn't been in it all night. Shikamaru crouched to check beneath the bed, smiling sadly at the glistening eyes that met him from the shadows.

"Shikari..."

"I like it here."

He said nothing as he reached beneath the bed and pulled the trembling girl out, hugging her against his chest before sitting on her bed, reclining and forcing himself to fit in the small space. Shikari frowned at her father, struggling in his grasp before finally growing still.

"I can protect you even when I'm not fighting."

"It's a secret."

"I won't tell mommy if you don't want me to," he promised. "But one day someone else will want to help you."

"I won't be afraid when I'm older."

He never thought of Shikari as a miniature adult, but he never cared much for babying her either. He'd been worried when she was born, a tiny person, his responsibility to teach and cherish. It had been much easier with his son the first time around - he acted his age, only maturing now that he had a younger sibling to take care of. With his daughter things tended to fall into place - Shikari was already growing to be independent, already serious, generally easy to talk to. He couldn't delude her into thinking when she grew up everything would be all right, but as a child he didn't want to give her the impression everything was hopeless.

"Whether or not you're afraid, people who love you will want to help you. Even if you don't need it - sometimes it's nice to accept it."

"Like the day you couldn't open the jar of honey so Mommy did it?"

Shikamaru scowled, ruffling her hair. "No more questions."

_A series of one-shots that follows the characters ? years after Shippuden, perhaps? Shikamaru and his daughter Shikari star in this chapter - I'm in the mood for team ten, so maybe__ Chouji next. Edited December 28th, 2010.  
_


	2. II, Ten Promising Pounds

_**T**__he__** L**__ater__** T**__imes_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Any OCs belong to me.

- **II** -

"Is that _mine_?"

He had made the joke often enough when she was actually pregnant - what model would want to have his child? What model would want to have _him_? And now that his daughter was here, he couldn't quite believe it. His wife glared at him, reaching to take the bundle from his limp hands. "That isn't funny, Chouji."

"She's beautiful," he offered weakly, reaching to take his daughter back. His wife shifted, making room for him to sit, rubbing his shoulder as he bowed over the infant. "Her mouth is pretty big," Chouji observed as the child yawned.

"She got that from you."

Chouji smiled proudly, stroking his daughter's bald head before sighing, tucking the blankets around her small body. He found it hard to believe that everyone started this small - especially him. "I can't believe she was only ten pounds."

"_Only _ten pounds?"

"What, Hide? That's not that heavy."

"_You_ try pushing out-"

"Ow! Ow!" Chouji whined as his ear was snatched and twisted roughly, trying to pull away from her sharp nails. "I'm sorry-!"

"Only ten pounds," Hide mumbled, blowing her hair from her face. "What do you think all that screaming was? Celebration?"

Chouji smiled sheepishly before returning his daughter to her mother's arms, standing and smiling down at the both of them. Hide's eyes fell over Chouji, her expression calming as she held her daughter against her chest. "But what did I expect? I married a giant."

Chouji folded his arms over his chest, sitting in the chair beside the bed. "I'm not a giant."

"You're almost seven feet tall, Chouji. And how much do you weigh?"

"It's all muscle," He pouted in defense, stretching his legs before himself. It _was_ mostly muscle he carried - since his growth spurt at eighteen he hadn't really been able to carry much fat anymore, it all turned into muscle, which was great for his expansion jutsu. He was the tallest shinobi in Konoha, a title he found humorous to have. Staring down at his average-yet-tiny wife and even smaller daughter, he didn't expect to pass it on.

He glanced at the baby when it started to wake, crying softly before recognizing the warmth of her mother's chest. "Chouni," Hide cooed, stroking the child's plump cheeks. "If she has your legs she'll make a pretty good model."

"You think?" Chouji laughed as he bent his knees, resting his elbows on them as he leaned forward.

"Yes. A face this beautiful can't go getting fought with," she scowled at Chouji. He furrowed his brow in response before reaching to adjust the bed sheets. "I want her to do whatever she wants to do." Admittedly, he wouldn't mind if his daughter found some civilian duty to perform, though training to become a ninja wouldn't have disappointed him either. Even though the job was dangerous, he trusted his child would have trained and found enough confidence in their ability to become very skilled. Protecting the village was a responsibility that clung to his shoulders like a heavy cape. He knew his wife feared every letter he received, every mission he went on. She was afraid he'd leave her permanently. "Even if that is becoming a ninja."

"Well." Hide turned her face to the window, her face still heated by the difficulty of the birth, her eyes shining with a defiant light. She looked past the window to the street, where the civilians of Konoha went about their business. "I want her to be safe."

_Thanks for the review and for reading! (I see this has gotten _some _hits.) Well here's the Chouji-centric! Yes, he's huge and married a model, who I assume he met through Sai or something. Not very long, just a little exchange after his wife has given birth to his pretty, big, not-bastard daughter. =] I'll probably have another update or two soon. Edited January 1st, 2011. *Special thanks to Hot Mess 12!_


	3. III, What was Team Ten

_**T**__he__** L**__ater__** T**__imes_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Any OCs belong to me.

- **III** -

Shikamaru slid one of his hands into his pocket, the other hand held captive by the less-than-gentle fist of a woman. He smiled at the slight pressure, starting lazily down the main path of the village, stopping when he arrived at a familiar flower shop. It amazed him that it had been so long since he had seen his teammates. At least - it had been so long since he had recognized them. He'd seen the Ino drenched in blood and sweat, unstoppable as she concentrated on saving lives during battle. He'd seen Chouji deflecting enemy shinobi, protecting his teammates with lion-like courage. They weren't the three that had wept over their sensei.

They had grown.

"Hey, Shikamaru!"

He bowed his head as he entered the flower shop, smiling as he saw Ino behind the counter, a bouquet in hand, dressed in her apron. "In-" She stood, the display of a motherly figure taking the rest of his voice. He stared at her for many moments, his eyes taking in the wrinkles of the too-small apron around her large stomach. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, opening his eyes and looking down before looking up, a smile on his face. They were all changing. "Ino. It's been too long."

"I've always been here," She teased lightly, stepping out from behind the counter, sighing. The slight exhale caused Shikamaru to look towards her again, his hand immediately coming from his pocket, his arm out to steady her. She waved dismissively, coming to inspect the young woman by his side.

"Hello Shikari," she cooed, reaching into the pocket of her apron to reveal a pair of scissors, clipping a blossom and tucking it behind the girl's small ear.

"Do you remember me? Auntie Ino? Does Daddy talk about me?"

Shikari released her father's hand during the interrogation, her sharp eyes removing their attention from the flowers around the store to the swollen face before her. She nodded, resting a tiny hand on Ino's stomach. "You're uglier than he said."

"...Am I, now?" Ino stared down at the child, her face stoic for many moments. Unable to read her expression, Shikamaru grasped his daughter's wrist and pulled her away quickly, just in time to rescue her from being trampled by an exuberant Chouji.

"Ah, I'm late! Ino!"

"Eyes up, Chouji," Shikamaru mumbled, shoving him. His eyes snapped up from the large chest before him, wide and perplexed at Ino's condition as he surveyed the woman. "You didn't tell us you were pregnant."

"Just like you didn't tell us you were engaged?" Ino teased. Chouji frowned, shaking his head and mumbling softly.

"No one would believe me when I said I was dating a model. You wouldn't have believed..." Whatever rest he had said was lost to Shikamaru's ears as he caught sight of Ino watching him. Her eyes flickered when he noticed her, down to Shikari. Shikamaru smiled slightly as he placed a hand on his daughter's head, eyes widening as she was snatched and tossed in the air.

"And no one told me you'd grown so big already!" Chouji laughed, his deep voice a pleasant sound when paired with the little girl's squeals.

"I haven't gotten any bigger since last night," she finally said, placing a hand on his cheek, her voice already taking a familiar Nara drawl.

"Last night?" Ino pulled two chairs from around the shop, returning behind the counter to retrieve a third. Shikamaru quickly stepped past her, taking it for himself and gesturing for her to sit down. She didn't complain as she sat in the middle chair, Chouji taking one beside her, Shikamaru sitting on her other side.

"Yeah, Shikamaru and I were hanging out yesterday... Wow, Ino," Chouji smiled, the haze over his eyes something curious. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," she smiled as she laid a hand on her stomach. "Shikari - you and my child will be playmates, eh?"

"Not if he's as stupid as-" Shikamaru hurried to stop her, Chouji's large hand beating him to it. The only sound within the shop was the loud thunder of his hand clasping her mouth. For many moments they let the awkwardness settle, uneasiness saturating them. Shikari struggled in protest, biting Chouji's hand as she ripped apart the flower that had fallen from behind her ear.

Ino balled her fists against her knees, exhaling audibly as she leaned over them, narrowing her eyes. Chouji rested a hand on her shoulder. "Ino..."

"Guys - stop it."

Shikamaru stared at Ino, frowning. Chouji blinked. "Stop-?"

"I want us... I want us to be as close as we were - as close as our fathers are. I don't know why it's so hard for us, but I don't want this censor. Shikamaru, if she said you said that I'm stupid, then I want to know. If you think I'm ugly you might as well say it. I've complained about you plenty of times. And you too, Chouji, if you have something to say, then you should say it."

Chouji set down Shikari, staring at Ino for several moments, his expression so severe Shikamaru feared it would split Ino in half. He finally stood, placing a large hand on her stomach and lowering his lips to her ear, whispering something Shikamaru was unable to comprehend. Ino stared at the floor as Chouji spoke, finally looking up at him when he had finished. She reached up to caress his face, closing her eyes and smiling.

"I want that, too."

"I have to go now, though. Hokage assigned me to a team."

Ino nodded, her fist tight around the material of her apron. Chouji pat her hand before bending to kiss her cheek. "And tomorrow -"

"I'm looking forward to that."

He nodded, bending to kiss her cheek before waving to Shikamaru. "Later," He straightened his kunai pouch before exiting the store, the jingle of the bell announcing his departure the only sound available to resonate in their ears for many moments.

"What did he say?" Shikamaru finally asked.

"He misses me." She lowered her eyes to the floor. "He misses his sister."

Shikamaru opened his mouth slightly, staring at her before smiling to himself, nodding in agreement. "I miss my sister, too."

"Your stupid sister?" Ino laughed.

"My stupid fat sister," Shikamaru grumbled. "Shikari just misunderstood the context..."

Ino stared at him for many moments before smiling. Shikari laid on the floor by her father's feet, tugging his pants. "Time for mother to come home?"

Shikamaru's dark eyes rolled upwards to the clock on top of the shop door. Solemnly, he recognized the time and stood, nodding to Ino. "I promise I'll speak to you before you drop that baby. Pig."

Ino rolled her eyes, waving her hand. "After he's born I'm going to get you back for that." Shikamaru's eyes lighted with affection. He stood, careful to avoid his daughter as he placed one hand on Ino's shoulder, the other light on her stomach as he bent to kiss her cheek. His lips found the corner of her mouth, embracing the softest of his teammates. Shikamaru pulled away, his face slightly red. Ino's eyes were on the floor, her body rigid.

"Shikari."

The girl stood, slowly brushing her skirt before taking her position at her father's side again. Shikamaru pulled a small package from his pocket and set it on Ino's knee. "I think any child of yours wouldn't mind this."

Ino frowned at the worn packaging, looking up at him. "You got this a long time ago."

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you give it to me before? Why didn't you congratulate me if you knew? You've walked past the shop many times."

"I was conflicted. It won't be so hard next time." His words did little to ease the wrinkles of confusion on Ino's face. He ducked his head before exiting the shop, looking down at his daughter before starting towards the gates.

_Edited December 28th, 2010.  
_


	4. IV, What a Year

_Man, I'm terrible. =_= Forgot my password... But I'm back and hoping to update at least once a week! I know for sure that The Later Times is going to become a full-length story, once I can think of a reasonable plot and reasonable characters. :]_

_**T**__he__** L**__ater__** T**__imes_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Any OCs belong to me.

- **IV** -

The streets of Konoha were oddly quiet despite the time of year. Ever since the Fourth War ended, New Year celebrations happened to be one of the most festive times of the year. Shinobi had time off, people wore their best clothes, shops put out their best foods, and decorated candles lit the night.

"I'm bored."

Shikari squinted at her friend, watching the girl's stained lips as she sucked on a piece of candy. "Where's your mom?" She turned her head to inspect the Akimichi home. She had been sitting on the front steps of the house for so long that she had lost all feeling in her bottom and legs. "Inside doing something, I think." Her friend didn't seem bothered in the least bit, humming to herself as she licked her sticky fingertips before letting her concentration fall onto Inome and Shikari's older brother. They were all waiting for some sort of spectacular firework display, but in their boredom had found ways to entertain themselves. Shikari had started attempting to count the lines in her palm while her older brother Satoru sparred with Inome, currently beating him easily with his sharpened stick.

"This is the worst New Year's eve ever," Satoru commented loudly in a lazy tenor, sidestepping Inome. He watched the boy stagger and fall with little reaction, letting him tumble in the dirt. Chouni gasped, jumping off the porch and hurrying to him, allowing Satoru to take her spot. He stretched his legs across the aged wood, looking thoughtfully upward. "Not even a lantern."

"I didn't even get to make any," Shikari glanced at her brother before returning to her hand. "Why is everyone gone?"

"Mom's on her way back from Suna - you know that. Dad, Uncle Chouji and Aunt Ino are on a mission… _Everyone_'s on a mission. Bad timing, I suppose."

"Taiki invited us to a party," Shikari scowled when she mentioned of the troublesome boy. "We should go, everyone will be there."

"Not _everyone,_ Shikari," Satoru ignored his sister's irritated expression, well aware that the girl disliked correction. The two of them sat quietly together for several moments, identically severe gazes resting on Chouni and Inome. When Chouni finally stopped fussing over her friend's now-dirty clothes, Satoru stood, holding his hand out for Shikari. She took his hand only to have her arm wrapped around his neck as he pulled her onto his back. Shikari gripped the collar of his shirt as he moved both his arms underneath her to support her as he turned to face the house.

"Misses Akimichi, would you mind if I took Chouni with us to a party?" There was a brief pause before the petite woman shuffled out of the house, waving her hands. "Yes, yes! Take them both, take Inome with you—Chouni! What have you done? You're all dirty—Inome! Both of you come inside. Satoru, wait a minute please."

Shikari could feel her brother's irritated grunt, but was unsure if it was a result of her wait or the object of him having to wait. She knew her brother was oddly impatient though he never seemed outwardly in a rush to do things. She also knew he wasn't fond of carrying things, either. In order to avoid any more criticism, Shikari wiggled in attempt to slide off his back, only to earn a sharp pinch. "Ow!"

"Stop moving," Satoru started to pace, almost jumping down the stairs when Chouni and Inome finally emerged from the house. Chouni's mother was astounding – Shikari couldn't understand a woman like that, since her main role model was her mother and the kunoichi wasn't known for wearing make up or elaborate clothing. In fact, Temari was more than comfortable dropping Shikari off with Chouni's mother if there was ever an occasion which required her being dressed up. She and Ino made a habit of dressing and grooming the three children, despite the fact that Inome was a boy. Not that he protested against the attention, usually just undressing or removing the decorations from his bound hair the instant he got out of his mother's line of sight. He didn't even wait until he was all the way out of the house before he started tugging at his collar. He looked like a girl without makeup while Chouni just looked like a doll off its shelf, with expensive ribbons that matched her skirt and blush painted on her naturally-rosy cheeks. After proudly observing her work, Chouni's mother gave them a little shove. Blowing kisses, she retreated back into the house.

"Come on." Shikari rested her cheek against the back of Satoru's shoulder as he led her friends off the Akimichi property and towards the main village. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep before she felt someone's hot breath on her cheek.

"She's asleep already?"

She didn't move for a few moments before whipping her hand blindly at the voice, smacking her hand across a familiar face.

"Ah!" The older boy took a step back, sulking next to her brother. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Shikari made out the features of her brother's friend Taiki, his unruly blonde spikes as wild as his smile. "Want a cookie?"

"Don't speak to me like I'm a pet," Shikari sat up and stretched her arms before standing from the couch and surveying the room, attempting to find her friends. There were quite a few children in the house. Not "everyone" as she had earlier claimed, but at least ten children were occupying the room, many with parents on missions from what she could observe, considering the lack of adult supervision. The Hyuuga cousins were competing against another pair of kids, stacking pieces of wood in attempt to make a high tower without the construction collapsing. Another boy Shikari vaguely knew was reading a book. Chouni - not surprisingly - had gotten her hands on some food. Inome sat next to her, ripping apart pieces of his costume with a fork as she ate.

"Something's wrong with him," Satoru observed before turning to leave Taiki and Shikari to themselves.

"The clothes probably itch," Shikari offered in defense of his friend, though Taiki didn't seem to pay much attention to that, instead leaving her abruptly. Shikari scowled after him before wandering through the house. She'd visited on a number of occasions, though there were obvious parts of the house she hadn't seen. She didn't make it farther than the kitchen when she felt herself tugged back by the edge of her shirt before being scooped up and carried like an infant.

"Don't you know it's impolite to wander around someone's house like that?"

"I'm not a baby, let me go!" Shikari knew the voice well. It belonged to Kuremi Sarutobi, a student of her father. She didn't turn to face him, instead struggling until he let her go. He laughed at her before standing from his crouched position, looking down at her. Shikari glared back up at him, well aware he couldn't be the least bit intimidated by a five-year-old, but furious with the fact that he was laughing at her. Absolutely no one laughed at her, no one but Satoru, in which case it was allowed, and natural. There was nothing wrong with an older brother laughing at his sister. Shikari did not consider herself to be an amusing child, and therefore felt a right to be irritated when someone found her amusing.

"Who said you were a baby, huh? I just don't want you to make a mess. Everyone's out… Taiki's mother is here, though, she went to get something from the market. I just don't want her to find you in her things."

"You should have said that," she shuffled past him before attempting to find something to amuse herself with, since this "party" wasn't much better than what she had been doing at the Akimichi's house. Irritated, she finally took a seat next to the smaller of the Hyuuga twins - the quieter one. At times she had difficulties remembering their names or which belonged to what parent, not because they looked remarkably alike, but because she had never interacted with them much nor was she as familiar with them as she was some other people. They were older than her, but her brother wasn't particularly friendly with them, therefore she wasn't either. For that reason, she didn't happen to care who won the game they were playing, causing her to sit still as if she were meditating or falling asleep with her eyes open, the latter more likely.

"Who wants fireworks?"

Taiki's voice rang throughout the room, causing everyone to turn to look at him. After blinking the stinging film from her eyes, Shikari saw the fireworks in Taiki's hands. He held them under his arms, between his fingers, and even in his pants, his eyes wide with excitement. Almost instantly, everyone got up and rushed towards him, Kuremi stepping through the sea of children as if they were nothing more than pillows, gently easing them out of the way before he ushered Taiki outside.

"If you want to show off, do it outside."

"Fine!" Taiki threw the fireworks onto the ground before whipping a match. "Count down, everyone!" He grinned, kicking the fireworks into a pile in front of the house, oblivious to the fact that there was at least an hour before it was midnight. While most of the children watched him in confusion, Kuremi gathered everyone, starting the countdown, figuring it safer to humor Taiki than to let him find another stunt to gain approval of his peers.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"Taiki, what are you doing?"

"Seven!"

"Six!"

"Taiki, you answer me this instant!" Taiki's mother's voice carried, despite the distance she was from the house, though no one had heard her except Kuremi, the children enthused by the countdown and gymnastics an impatient Taiki performed around the fireworks. The pink-haired woman quickened her pace, dropping the basket of groceries she carried. Sensing her panic, Kuremi attempted to shake off the children that had settled on top of him. He struggled to reach Taiki in time, the boy dancing about.

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Kuremi, those aren't fireworks!"

"Three!"

"Stop, Taiki!"

"Two!"

"One!"

Shikari was welcomed to the New Year by a flash of white. She opened her eyes to see herself in a familiar room. It took her a few moments to recognize the bed she was in as a hospital bed and not her cot at home. She was in Konoha's hospital, the color of the walls causing her head to ache. She covered her eyes, confused by how painful the motion was. Unable to move, she glanced about the room to find her brother in the bed next to her. He had an uncharacteristically stupid grin on his swollen, bruised face. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Looking at her brother made everything clear, the tone of panic in Taiki's mother's voice, Kuremi's frantic actions, shoving everyone inside the house. Now it made sense why he had so recklessly shoved Taiki to the ground. The fool had almost blown them all up, and being so close to the front, Shikari and her brother had suffered the worst of the blast.

"This was the best New Year celebration _ever_."

_I don't know why I'm so cruel to children. ;_; I thought it was funny, anyway. Happy New Year, everyone! _


	5. V, Blink

_**T**__he__** L**__ater__** T**__imes_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. Any OCs belong to me.

- **V** -

"What are you thinking about?"

There wasn't the slightest hint of emotion in the white eyes that stared back at him. The most movement his opponent displayed was the slightest twitch at the bead of sweat rolling down the bridge of her nose between her eyes.

"Do you think you'll beat me, Hato?" He shifted ever so slightly in his stance, irritated at being ignored. "If you don't answer me, I'll push you."

"Hajime, that's cheating."

"We never established rules."

"Fine," the girl sighed, her balance wavering with exhaustion, her slender body trembling under the heat of the sun. "I'm thinking about breakfast."

"Oh, are you hungry?"

Almost every morning was conducted in a similar fashion. Hato and her cousin would both have their - as her father had put it - juvenile staring contests before sparring one another. She was too much like her father, her mother liked to say. What Neji thought was childish, Hato often thought so as well, but mostly because her father thought so. As the clan genius of his generation, Hato could find no fault in his logic, even if she never completely understood it. Which was as it should have been, her mother also liked to say. "No one should understand Neji. Be more like Hajime's mother. Hinata isn't a cryptic."

Cryptic. That, she understood. Her father wasn't as cryptic as he was complicated. He was deliberate in his motions and his actions, and he was a book to be analyzed, not read. If what her mother said was true about her father's cousin, then Hinata's son was really what she saw before him. But looking at his brutish smile left Hato with no impression other than the fact that he was a mean boy.

"Well, Hato? Are you hungry? Oh, there goes your stomach."

Neither of them had yet to graduate from the academy, but they were both fond of practicing. It was often their staring contests that they took more seriously than their sparring, though both competitions were treated with the upmost severity and pursuit. Hato had yet to win a staring contest. For as long as she could remember, Hajime had found a way to disrupt her. According to him it wasn't cheating, as the only rule to be broken was consistent eye contact, but Hato was sure his methods weren't moral.

She had to admit, it probably wasn't that hard for him to find a way to distract her. Every scorching summer morning they met fully dressed, Hato sweating through the fabric of her clothes. The white material already enveloped her premature frame, causing her to look like a dwarf is a sea of stained white. The bandages around her forehead that she wore to hide her curse mark always became soaked, and at times loosened and slid into her eyes. It was a burden, as most things were. One her father had argued so vocally against. There were changes being made in the clan. Small changes. She almost always heard bits and pieces when her father and aunt were in the company of one another. All Hato understood was that, because of some mistake, she was to be punished especially.

"I'm very hungry," Hato fussed with the bandages, attempting to tighten them without getting her long hair caught in the knot.

"One day that will happen on the battlefield," Hajime liked to chastise her. "And you'll fall from formation and die."

Born before her, Hajime had practically conditioned Hato to grow used to taunts. He was nothing like his mother, with her soft voice, gracious eyes and kind gestures. At times Hato convinced herself that the boy was possessed with some cruel spirit, since it wasn't always apparent to her how the Hyuuga heir could be so mean while having been conceived by such a nice woman. Perhaps if they switched parents, she could make some sort of connection, though her father wasn't as mean as he was blunt.

"Hato, Hato, look at me, Hato," Hajime started to flap his arms, puckering his lips before opening his mouth wide and crowing, hopping from foot to foot. In response to his actions, Hato straightened herself, though she still stood a good height lower than him. They weren't so far apart in age that height should have been a noticeable factor. She was, as her father so fondly called her, his little bird. Doomed to suffer some phantom curse that made her tiny. That or she was suffering from some sort of malnutrition.

The gurgle of her stomach was much more timid than the painful sensation that resulted from not having eaten since breakfast the day before. Hato whined softly but remained poised. She stared at Hajime so much her eyes ached.

"Hato, you lose."

This defeat she would accept without argument. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but her eyes had drifted back towards what was visible the main house. She knew the rules, as every Hyuuga did. She'd felt the pain by none other than Hato, once for something small as a toy her aunt had given her. When she had found out, Hinata had punished her son severely, though even her "severe" punishment was deemed laughable by Hajime. When Hato observed her closest of kin, she found it hard to see where such wickedness had sprouted. Perhaps if Hajime was the son of her younger aunt Hanabi, it would make sense, considering she was more strict than 's creation was a mystery to her.

"Let's fight now."

* * *

"How are you doing?"

Though his voice had been drowned out almost entirely by the rain pouring down on them, Hato could make out most of what he had said. "I can't feel anything," Hato replied obnoxiously loud before laughing. The sound caused everyone in their camp to turn their heads. She wasn't the type to laugh often or to raise her voice, she understood that. Surely, though, it couldn't have been such a rare sound that her teammates felt the need to stare at her.

"You can't feel _anything_?"

Hato frowned up at her cousin before looking down to her hands. His fingers hovered over her own. Her delicate fingers were bleeding through the bandages the medic had wrapped them in. They were at odd angles, swollen, some even turning purple. She shouldn't have even been on the mission in the first place. One sensing shinobi was supposed to have been more than enough. No one knew what went wrong.

It didn't take her long to realize her carefree attitude was mostly a result of the medication she had been given. Her mind wasn't clear, but she could distinguish the frightened panic in her cousin's eyes. When he noticed her observing him, he looked away, trying to appear nonchalant. His messy brown hair was soaked by the rain, and when he pushed the wet strands from his face he only exposed his eyes, his furrowed brows displaying his worry all over again. Hato frowned as she looked down at her hands again. At most they seemed broken, but how much worse could they be? How strong was the medicine she had taken?

"Hey, I have an idea." Hajime sat down across from her, taking her legs and folding them so that they could sit close together, so that their knees were touching. Hato felt like she had to break her neck just to see his chin.

"Let's have a staring contest, just like we used to."

"This is a bad place for a staring contest."

"We're waiting out the storm. It's as good a place as any."

"Okay, sure," her thoughts were becoming more muddled, but it was easy for her to see that the distraction would probably wind up more helpful for Hajime than for her. Hato, however, had never been one to complain. It was something the both of them had in common, though their methods of ridding themselves of discomfort were practically opposite, with Hajime taking the proactive approach to stop the discomfort completely or to remove himself from the situation if at all possible, while Hato was much more content with suffering silently. The latter of which had most likely contributed to her current injury. Hajime was pulling a comfort from their childhood – something he thought of as a nice memory while Hato thought it another way for him to display his harsh demeanor. Tonight there was nothing mean in his matured face, and though his eyes were not warm, they held no malice. They were concerned.

She hadn't heard her cousin commence the staring contest, but she knew it had started, by the wrinkle visible between his eyes. It was probably the quickest win she had ever given him – the one time he had acted out of sympathy. He didn't have to cheat or distract her with childish actions or easy taunts. She couldn't do it. Her eyes wouldn't stay open.

"You blinked," Hajime murmured, reaching to brush the rain from her eyes.

_So these are the next generation equivalent of Neji and Hinata. (It is so hard to name characters! _) Not sure who Hajime's father is… Well, I have an idea but I don't know if I want to go with that. =P And Hato's father is Neji. Dunno if her mother is Tenten? It'll probably be decided in the future by means of a coin flip. =3= Anyway, yes. I think they were a nice change from Shika-Ino-Cho centric stuff. I like their relationship a lot, too. They care for each other in some odd way, and dislike each other at the same time. A little future snip, too. Blah blah blah, I'm talking to myself. XD YOU ARE ALL FREE FROM MY LONG COMMENT. Fly away, beloved readers! And of course, thank you everyone who has reviewed or put this story on alert!_


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